Mrs. G. His last passion, which indeed completed our ruin, was chemistry. He was led to suppose that he could find the secret of making gold, and squandered away every thing that he possessed in reiterated trials.

Heart. Then he literally left you nothing at his death?

Mrs. G. Only a life annuity of about 801.; and how, with so small a sum, can I answer the expectations of his nephew, who suspects that his uncle died extremely rich? I have heard that he will shortly arrive here. I don't understand these matters, and I am very uneasy.

Heart. But your husband's wealth was doubtless in houses and estates?

Mrs. G. Yes, sir; but every thing was sold before his death.

Heart. If then nothing absolutely remains, his nephew cannot expect any thing.

Mrs. G. Certainly not.

Heart. If every thing is regular, upon what point can he find fault with you? If you have made an inventory, present it to him; and if he intends to claim the succession, he must commence by first delivering up every thing that belongs to you.

Mrs. G. You are extremely kind to make my mind so easy; but can't he still run me to some expenses? If he was to bring an action against me, upon the supposition of my being richer than I am?

Heart. If you possess nothing, should he gain it, he cannot obtain any thing from you.

Mrs. G. In that case I do not fear him.'

Heart. And you are perfectly right. (stamps with his foot.)

I

Mrs. G. I feel extremely obliged to you, sir; you have made my mind quite comfortable and easy. feel that I have done right in coming to consult you. Thom. (crying without.) Fire! fire! fire!

Mrs. G. (alarmed.) Merciful Heaven! what is the matter? what can this mean?

Heart. Where are you going, madam? Stay.
Enter Thomas.

Thom. Fire! fire! fire!

Heart. What is the meaning of this noise, Thomas? (makes a sign to Forrester, who has opened the door.) Thom. Oh, sir! there's such a fire in the next street; the grocer's is nearly burnt to the ground, and the next house has just caught.

Mrs. G. (frantic.) The next house caught? that is my house! I am ruined! undone! (she is rushing out.)

Heart. No, no, madam, remain here; I cannot suffer you to incur such danger; we will run and save your property.

Mrs. G. But, my good sir, it will all be burnt before you discover it!

Heart. This gentleman and I will discover and preserve it from destruction. (Forrester comes from the closet.)

Mrs. G. You won't be able to find it, sir: it is all in the brick wall, gold and notes. Let me go, I entreat

you.

Heart. You may rely upon us, madam.

Mrs. G. My whole fortune is at stake; there's twenty thousand pounds!

Heart. Don't alarm yourself, perhaps its only a false alarm after all.

Mrs. G. I absolutely must and will go, gentlemen. Heart. I tell you that you have nothing to fear. Don't you perceive that every thing is very quiet?

Mrs. G. Perhaps the thieves have got at it, and carried all away?

Heart. If you will not believe me, madam, look through this window. There is not the least vestige of a fire.

Mrs. G. There certainly isn't much appearance.

Heart. Thomas! what did you mean by calling out fire? Is there a fire? answer me. (makes a sign for him to say no.)

Thom. No, sir, there is no fire.

Mrs. G. Are you sure of that, my good man?
Thom. Yes, madam.

Mrs. G. Good Heaven! how alarmed I was; but I must go and see.

Heart. Since I must tell you, madam, there has been no fire at all: it was all a joke.

Mrs. G. (astonished.) How?

Heart. Yes, I was pierced with grief to think an honest woman like yourself should be reduced to exist upon so little; and in order to assure myself whether you spake the truth, I ordered Thomas to create this alarm.

Mrs. G. What, sir! are you capable of such perfidy?

Heart. Such perfidy is innocent, when compared with the crime of purloining the property of another. Mrs. G. Sir!

Heart. You have confessed in your trouble, that you had twenty thousand pounds concealed in gold and

notes.

Mrs. G. Me?

Heart. Yes; dissimulation is now useless; we must have half of it.

Mrs. G. But, sir, it does'nt belong to me; it is a deposit entrusted to my care.

Heart. Well! since it is a deposit, I will apply my seal upon all your property, and cause you to be confined until the owners claim it. Now determine.

Mrs. G. You have no right, sir, to use violence. Heart. Those who would defraud their nearest relations, merit the severest chastisement. Look at this gentleman; he is your late husband's nephew.

Mrs. G. What are you Captain Forrester?

For. Yes, madam.

Mrs. G. Gulled! duped! Fool that I was! Why

did I come here?

For. Consent, madam, to the proposal of Heartly; share the twenty thousand pounds, and I promise to

preserve your secret.

Mrs. G. I didn't say that there was twenty thou VOL. II. Oct. 1830.

К

sand pounds it is a mistake, there is not half as much.

For. Well, we will divide whatever there is.

Mrs. G. I will never part with ten thousand pounds. Heart. In that case, we must throw it all into

chancery, and you will only get your thirds.

Mrs. G. Then since it must be so, come, gentlemen, follow me to my house.

Heart. That's much better than going to law, madam, you may depend upon it.

Mrs. G. Ah! why did I ever enter this accursed house !

For. What obligations

you!

[Exit.

what favours do I not owe

Heart. You are my nephew: let us conclude this business without a moment's delay; we will then hasten to my niece, and, after so much misery, I shall have the satisfaction of causing the happiness of you both; shall I not, think you, be well rewarded? Come, come. [Exeunt.

F. HIGHFIEld.

SONG.

LADIES, of love beware! beware!

Though his smiles are bright, and his looks are fair
Fair looks are deceitful oft, and guile
Is frequently found in a beaming smile:
And well 'tis known the archer boy,
Only gives pain when he promises joy,
So, ladies, of love beware!

Like the bee, he is fickle and ranging, dears,
Like the wind, he is constantly changing, dears,
Like the rainbow that raises its arch on high,
Fading as soon as he blesses the eye;

But constant for ever, alone in this,

When he enters the bosom, he steals its bliss,
So, ladies, of love beware!

J. KNOX.

ALONE AND NOT ALONE.

A CERTAIN old gentleman, when on his death-bed, advised his son to spend an hour alone each day, for then, said he, you will have but one devil to tempt you; whereas, if you are in company, you will have a legion. Doubtless the old man had the good of his son in view when he thus advised him, but whether he acted wisely, or told the truth, admits of a query.

That a person, particularly a young man of a versatile disposition, may occasionally fall into bad company, and, as such, into that of a legion of devils, I readily admit; but that all society is so depraved as to be less desirable than the company of one devil, whether one of Milton's worthies or even a German imp, I positively deny. Though I acknowledge that one or more hours spent in reading is desirable-but, forsooth, if I have a book in my hand, and particularly if I have the spirit of it in my head, how can I be said to be alone? If alone, where the propriety of styling certain books Young men's best companions?' For myself I can say, with an old ecclesiastic, that I am never less alone than when alone. The famous Matthew Henry appears to have been no friend to solitude, for somewhere in his sermons there is a passage to this effect, that our idle hours are the devil's busy ones. But to return to the old ecclesiastic; no doubt he meant to say, that he enjoyed much of the presence of the Almighty; and if a man of a religious disposition was, when alone, irresistibly drawn to a religious subject, may I not suppose that a person of contrary disposition would be drawn in a contrary path? So, notwithstanding all the old gentleman's good intentions, he might direct his son to those ways which he most heartily wished him to avoid; as we read in the fable of the young huntsman, whose father, having dreamed that he would be killed by a lion, shut him up in a castle, and to gratify the young man's sportsmanlike propensities, adorned it with pictures of such animals as were pursued in the chase: amongst others, there was one of a lion. The young huntsman one day bewailing his imprisoned fate, struck the pic.